Vintage Gaang
by CaelumBlue
Summary: Because before there was Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko, there was Aang, Bumi, Kuzon, Zeph, and Gyatso. Ch5: Gyatso gets some time to relax. Or not...
1. Child's Play

**Vintage Gaang**  
_Because before Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko, there was Aang, Bumi, Kuzon, Zeph, and Gyatso._

**AN: So, this is an idea that's sort of been floating around in my head for a while. I figure, well, being Air Nomads, Aang and Gyatso probably traveled around a lot. Aang obviously had friends all over the world--Bumi and Kuzon are the two examples given in the show--and, well, yeah, he's obviously close with Katara and Sokka and Toph and Zuko, but he had a life and other friends long before they were even born. So I had this idea about life before the war, when everyone was friends and things were peaceful and the Air Nomads still wandered all over the planet, and this is the result. It's nothing amazing, just a little scene of pre-war life. Currently a oneshot, but that'll probably change as the plotbunnies inevitably crop up. This is also unbetaed, and while I tend to be pretty good with my grammar and spelling, there's bound to be something I missed. If anyone would like to offer their services as a beta, I'd gladly return the favor!**

Disclaimer: Avatar isn't mine. I did create the character Zeph and her sky bison Zonpa, so I guess I sort of own them. If anyone ever wants to borrow them for anything, feel free to ask (though I'm not sure why anyone would want to...).  
  
"I have to hand it to you, Bumi--it's a lot easier to build a fort when you have an Earthbender around."

"Why, Kuzon, you're too kind."

Aang looked up towards the top of the tower of earth, which rose about eight feet above the children's heads. It was lumpy and crude-looking, but the point was that it was sturdy. "Okay. So Zeph, you get up there and pretend to be Princess Akemi, and this is the part where you're being held prisoner by Lord Tanran."

"I'll be Tanran," Kuzon volunteered.

"Great," Bumi said. "I call Chijin."

"Okay," said Aang. "Then I'm Masaru."

Zeph frowned, looking at the three boys. "Can't Kuzon be Masaru?"

Kuzon frowned. "Why does it matter?"

"Because I'd much rather be rescued by--" And then she abruptly shut up. "Never mind."

Kuzon looked confused, Bumi glanced from the Fire Nation boy to the Air Nomad girl, and Aang dutifully got them back on track. "Okay, so you get up there, Zeph, and I, noble Masaru, and my trusty friend Chijin shall save you from cruel Lord Tanran!" He struck a pose, trying out the character. Zeph looked up at the pillar of earth meant to be Tanran's stronghold, frowning.

"You know, I just thought of something...didn't Masaru have Ryuu with him at this point?"

Aang frowned. "Well, yeah...but we don't exactly have a dragon around here we can use for that..."

"But it isn't the same if Ryuu isn't here," Zeph said.

"She has a point," Bumi nodded. "It isn't exactly 'Love Amongst the Dragons' if there aren't any _dragons_."

"Well, do _you_ guys have any idea about what we can use for a dragon?" Aang asked. "Aside from Appa--Monk Gyatso took him to run errands."

"Is Zonpa still around, or did she fly off somewhere?" Kuzon asked.

"She should be close," Zeph said, smiling at the Firebender. "I'll go check." Picking up her staff, she caught an air current and flew off, her loose brown cowpig-tails fluttering in the breeze. Bumi watched until she was out of hearing range, and then he turned to Kuzon. This summer marked his first time in the Fire Nation, the first time he'd met Kuzon and Zeph, and the first time he'd seen the two kids interact, and something had stuck out as quite obvious.

"She _likes_ you."

"What?" Kuzon asked, looking confused. "Well, of course she does. We're friends."

"No, my good hotman," Bumi said, taking the opportunity to show off how well he'd picked up the native lingo. "I mean, she _likes_ you, likes you."

"Maybe you _should_ be Masaru," Aang mused, and Kuzon shook his head.

"Nope. I like Tanran." At his friends' dubious stares, he added, "What? As a villain, he's pretty flamin'!"

"Oh, _I_ see," Bumi grinned. "You're playing a villain, _and_ you're breaking the poor girl's heart!"

"What?" Kuzon yelped. "I am not!"

"But she looked positively _downcast_ when Aang took the role of Masaru..."

It clicked for Kuzon at that point, and he stared at Bumi in shock for a moment before replying, "Zeph's just my friend, okay? With the amount of time her family spends in the Fire Nation, we've practically grown up together!"

"Oh, so you know each other pretty well, then?"

"Yeah..."

"She likes to hang out with you a lot?"

"That doesn't mean she _likes_ me!"

"_I_ think it does."

Aang looked back and forth between his two best friends. Bumi had a smug, teasing look on his face, and Kuzon looked close to panic. Aang didn't blame him. He didn't know what _he'd_ do if he was ever told a girl had a crush on him.

"She's just my friend," Kuzon said as convincingly as he could. "A very good friend."

"Yeah. Who's always acting shy around you and smiling dreamily and giggling and--"

"That's it!" Kuzon shouted, lunging at the Earth Kingdom boy. "Shut up!"

Bumi laughed as Kuzon tackled him. And then he began singing. "Zeph and Kuzon, sitting in a tree! Filled with love and happy as can be! First comes--"

"Shut it!"

The boys were fighting in earnest now--Kuzon wasn't shooting fire yet, but Bumi was already using the earth to trip him. The little voice in the back of Aang's head that whispered random pieces of wisdom told him it was time to step in.

"Hey, guys," he said, moving toward the wrestling boys, "calm down, okay? There's no reason to--" He was interrupted by a rogue earth attack of Bumi's. Aang only had a second to scream before the ground swallowed him up to his chest. "BUMI!"

"Sorry, Aang," the other shouted, dodging a small fireball from Kuzon. "Didn't mean it!"

"Get me out of here!"

"Can't!" the other shouted, gleefully evading Kuzon's attacks.

"Hold still, you crazy Earthbender!" Kuzon shouted.

"No thank you," Bumi grinned, sending a small boulder Kuzon's way.

"You two are _impossible_," Aang groaned, resigning himself to being halfway stuck in the earth for the rest of eternity. Had he the training, he would gladly have bended a nice strong wind and blown his aggravating friends a mile away, but as he was only halfway to being a master, that was out of the question.

"You know, you're pretty good at this," Kuzon observed, sending another set of flames toward Bumi. He didn't have much training yet, so the fire had little harm to it besides some mild heat.

"Why thank you, my good hotman. Your bending's pretty flamin', itself."

"Well, yeah, seeing as I'm a Firebender and all. Fire _is_ a good element."

"So's earth."

"Oh, I don't deny that earth is a flamin' element," Kuzon said.

"It sure is," Bumi smirked, and a moment later Kuzon was stuck in the ground next to Aang.

"Hey! Let me out!"

"Yeah Bumi," Aang sighed, "come on, let us--"

"First, acknowledge earth as the most flamin' element on the planet!"

"What?!" the other two boys demanded.

"It is not!" Aang shouted. "Air's _much_ better than silly old earth--"

"Fire looks cooler!"

"Looks aren't everything! I just beat you!"

"You wouldn't've if I was a _master_ Firebender--"

"So what if I was a master Earthbender?"

"Oh, would both of you just _shut up_? Bumi, get us out of here!"

~~~~~

When Monk Gyatso returned from gathering supplies in the nearby town, he was quite surprised at the scene that greeted him and Appa. His pupil was encased up to his chest in the earth, along with the young Firebender boy, and the Earthbender was glaring down at both of them. All three children were screaming some sort of argument, with Kuzon's angry shouts emphasized by the occasional fireball and Aang's by some unnaturally strong gusts of wind.

"I'm _telling _you, air is better than earth! You can't take air away without dying, but if an earthbender is out at sea--"

"Hey, you can _make_ your own fire! Don't forget that!"

"Well, not if it's really cold you can't!"

"You guys are _completely_ missing the fact that _I beat you_!"

"_I_ wasn't even fighting!"

A little ways off, Zeph sat against her young air bison, watching the show and idly twirling her right cowpig-tail around her hand. Gyatso approached her.

"How long has this been going on for?" he asked, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice.

"I've been watching them for about ten minutes," she sighed. "We were _supposed_ to play 'Love Amongst the Dragons', but I don't think it's working." She watched the boys for another moment. "They're gonna keep this up all day, aren't they?"

"I would say that is a safe bet," Gyatso smiled. "In the meantime, I have some fruit pies that need baking. Would you like to help?"

She brightened. "Can I lick the bowl when we're done?"

He smiled. "Certainly."

They wandered back to Kuzon's family's vacation house, fully intent on whipping up some mouth-watering fruit pies. Behind them, Appa and Zonpa flew up into the clouds, fed up with the bickering of the nine-year-old boys playing in the dirt. The skies were blue, the Fire Nation was beautiful in summertime, and all the world was at peace.

Life was good.

**AN: About the names...**

Zeph--Derived from Zephyr, which is a breeze from the west.  
Zonpa--Tibetan, "young".  
Akemi--Japanese, "bright and beautiful".  
Tanran--Japanese, "greed".  
Chijin--Japanese, "friend".  
Masaru--Japanese, "victory".  
Ryuu--Japanese, "dragon".  
  
**I know absolutely nothing about "Love Amongst the Dragons", by the way, aside from the fact that it's a play that Ursa apparently likes a lot. I'm pretty sure there isn't a synopsis of it anywhere, or even a general idea of the plot, so I just totally made it up.**

I'd really appreciate it if you'd leave a review, be it a quick "I liked it" or a long list of constructive criticism. And if anyone would like to beta for me, just send me a message.

Thanks for reading! ^_^


	2. Dinnertime

**AN: This is what happens when I have a three day weekend and don't feel like doing homework. I write fanfiction! ^_^ So I decided to write another chapter for this, and there'll probably be another…and another…and another… Dang plotbunnies multiply like weeds. **

**Still in need of a beta, if anyone feels like volunteering.**

**Disclaimer: Avatar isn't mine. Thank goodness. If the show had been up to me, I wouldn't've been able to do it justice. **

"Zeph," Aang said, "would you please tell the bonehead sitting next to you to pass the fire flakes?"

"And refill my glass?" Kuzon added, holding his cup out to Zeph. She took it uncertainly and looked at Bumi.

"They want you to--"

"I heard them," he grumbled, grabbing the glass from her hands. He refilled the glass, slammed it down before Kuzon, and shoved the bowl of fire flakes Aang's way. At the head of the table, Monk Gyatso wiped his mouth with a napkin to hide his smile.

"Thank you, Zeph," Aang said.

"Uh...you're welcome?"

"So, Zeph," Kuzon said conversationally, "what did _you_ do with the rest of your afternoon? You know, while Aang and I were _stuck up to our chests in solid rock_." He glared at Bumi.

"Oh, well, uh... Monk Gyatso and I made fruit pies! And I got to lick the bowl, and we made dinner, and..."

"Wow. Sounds fun," Kuzon said, still looking pointedly at Bumi. "A lot _more_ fun than being _stuck in the mud_."

"I've apologized a million times already!" the Earthbender exclaimed. Kuzon turned his attention back to his meal.

"Zeph, please tell Bumi that he can apologize all he wants, but it really doesn't change the fact that Aang and I were practically buried alive and had to be dug out by hand."

"Bumi, Kuzon says--"

"I _know_ what he's saying; I can _hear_ him! And I'm sorry about the whole getting-dug-out-with-shovels thing, okay? I'm not well trained enough to Earthbend you out, and there weren't any other Earthbenders nearby."

"Zeph," Aang sighed, "kindly remind Bumi that we are in the _Fire Nation_, so there aren't exactly random Earthbending masters wandering around."

Zeph glanced at Bumi, who was glaring at Aang. She sighed and had a bite of rice.

"Well, I'm sorry!" Bumi said indignantly.

"Zeph, tell Bumi that saying sorry isn't going to get us those three hours of our lives back," Aang said, and Zeph promptly airbent Aang's bowl onto his face.

"Oh, tell him yourself," she huffed, getting up from the table. "Zonpa needs her dinner."

"Don't take too long," Monk Gyatso said. "It'll be time for pie soon, and knowing how these three eat it'll disappear quite fast."

Aang pulled the bowl off his face in time to see his only method of communication with Bumi leaving the dining room. "Wait, Zeph, come back!" When she didn't, he switched tactics. "Well, so long as you're out with the bison, can you feed Appa for me?"

"Actually, my dear pupil, I think that is something you should do yourself," Monk Gyatso said, looking at Aang pointedly. The younger monk sighed and got up.

"Oh, alright."

"Hey, Aang," Bumi snickered. "You might want to clean your face before you see Appa. Otherwise he might try to eat you."

"Huh?" Aang said, feeling his face and finding clumps of rice sticking to his skin. "Oh, gross! Zeph!" He frantically brushed the sticky rice off his head.

"Could be worse," Kuzon laughed. "You could have _hair_."

"Ha," Aang snorted, leaving the dining room. "That'll be the day."

He headed outside, where Appa and Zonpa were idly grazing. Kuzon's family's vacation house was situated in the middle of a wide, open plain at the foot of the mountains, a mile away from town. The bison were capable of surviving on the grass in the meadow, but the Air Nomads liked to be sure the animals got some extra treats.

Aang found Appa chewing on some grass, and the animal grunted a greeting as the monk approached. As he got closer, Aang saw Zonpa standing on Appa's other side. Zeph was using her airbending to toss watermelons into the smaller bison's mouth.

"So tell me," she said, getting into formation in front of a melon. "Are all boys this hogmonkey-headed, or is it just you three?"

"I don't know," Aang shrugged. Zeph took a moment to roll her eyes before taking a deep breath, twirling, and whooshing her watermelon into Zonpa's waiting mouth. "Your aim's a lot better than it was last year," Aang noted.

"I've been practicing," she said proudly. "I've almost mastered level six now."

"That's great, Zeph!" Aang grinned, grabbing a melon and tossing it to Appa. "Funny. A year ago we were only at level two."

She set up another melon. "So what are you up to now, exactly?" she asked, starting her bending motions.

"...Level fifteen."

Zeph's melon went wide off its mark, and Zonpa lowed in annoyance. Zeph didn't notice.

"Fifteen?" she repeated. "_How_ are you up to level fifteen already?"

Aang shrugged, throwing Appa another melon. "I don't know. It's just been really easy for me. Monk Gyatso says I'll probably be a master in a few more years."

"A few _years_?" Zeph asked, looking shocked. "How is that even _possible_?"

"I don't know," Aang shrugged. Zeph's face had taken on a sort of downcast expression, and he sighed. "Don't worry, it's not like you're behind or anything. It just comes naturally to me." When she still frowned uncertainly, he added, "I'm the only one--none of the other kids at the Southern Air Temple are so far ahead."

Her face broke into a relieve grin, and she laughed. "Oh, good. So you're just weird, then."

"Hey!"

"Come on," she smirked, bending one last watermelon into Zonpa's mouth. "Let's get back inside before they eat all the pie."

They returned to the dining room just as Monk Gyatso was cutting into the desert, and Bumi and Kuzon were already fighting over their pieces. Aang and Zeph slid into their seats, watching the two boys argue.

"That piece is mine, okay? I claim it."

"That's not how it works! You can't just claim it!"

"Well, that's how it works in my family!"

"Well, in _my_ family, whoever grabs the plate first gets it!"

"That's nice, Bumi, but seeing as you're staying in _my_ house..."

"Boys," Monk Gyatso chided, "all the pieces are exactly the same size."

"Nah-uh," Kuzon shook his head. Pointing at one of the slices, he said, "This piece is slightly bigger than the others. I claim it."

"You can't _claim_ it!"

Monk Gyatso sighed, placed the slice in question on a plate, and set it in front of Zeph. She beamed.

"Thank you, Monk Gyatso."

"Thank _you_ for helping me bake it," he answered. Kuzon and Bumi sulked as they were served average-sized pieces. And then Bumi grinned.

"_Told_ you you couldn't claim it."

"Oh, shut up, Bumi."

**AN: Poor Zeph. It's gotta be hard growing up and learning bending alongside the Avatar. XD Hope you enjoyed reading!**


	3. Crack of Dawn

**AN: Another chapter. Yay! This is an idea I've had for a while, actually. It was great fun to write. **

**Disclaimer: Avatar isn't mine. **

**Chapter 3: At the Cracks of Dawn**

Thanks to their involvement with the army, Kuzon's family was somewhat important in the Fire Nation. His grandfather had been a general, his uncle had been commander of a ship, and his father, Zannen, was a high-ranking army officer, just a few steps below the rank of general. As such, the family was nowhere near lacking in money, and it showed in the blankets used on the beds in their vacation house.

Bumi snuggled further into the covers. They were really _nice_ blankets. Fluffy and warm and really, really soft. Sure, the red got annoying after a while, but the color was worth the comfort. Bumi wondered if it was possible for him to buy a set and bring them home with him. It wouldn't be much extra weight for Appa, so he was sure Monk Gyatso wouldn't mind. The only problem would be convincing his parents, because while _he_ might not mind the color, _they_ certainly would. An Earth Kingdom noble's son with a Fire Nation bedspread was more than a little sacrilegious. Still, his parents would probably let him--they were rather used to his antics by now, and after the debacle with the Omashu delivery system, blankets were a pretty tame subject. And he was sure his uptight father would understand once he felt how nice and soft the blankets were. Bumi thought that maybe he'd just curl up under the covers and stay in bed all day--

"HEY, BUMI! WAKE UP!"

"AAH! GAH! WHAT?" he shrieked, launching out of bed and falling to the floor in a tangle of red sheets. Kuzon fell beside him, laughing hysterically. Bumi scowled.

"Okay, what do you want, my good hotman?" he asked bitterly.

Still laughing, Kuzon replied, "Just waking you up!"

Bumi looked around, noting the lack of daylight. He glanced out the window, which, fortunately, was facing the east. He groaned. "Kuzon, the sun's _barely_ risen."

"So? Firebenders rise with the sun."

"Last I checked, I'm not a Firebender," Bumi yawned, crawling back into bed. "Feel free to wake me up when the sun's a good way above the horizon, 'kay?"

"Aww, come on, Bumi!" Kuzon said, his voice bordering on whining. "I can't go back to sleep and it's really boring being the only one awake!"

"Not my problem," Bumi grumbled, adjusting the covers. "What do you do when you wake up back home?"

"I live in a family of Firebenders. We all wake up at the crack of dawn."

"I think I would die," Bumi grumbled.

"You know, I have friends who aren't benders, and they really like that whole 'sleeping in' thing. I don't see the allure of it, myself."

"Of course you don't."

"I mean, the sun's up! You're burning daylight! Yet I have a good number of friends who'd sleep in 'till noon if they cou--"

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP AND LET ME SLEEP?"

Kuzon sighed, but fell silent and stood very, very still by Bumi's bed. Minutes passed.

"Hey...Bumi? You asleep?"

"Nope."

"Oh. Okay." Pause. "How about now?"

"_No_, Kuzon."

"Oh. Well, you'll let me know when you _are _asleep, right?" The smirk in the Firebender's voice was audible.

"Oh, yeah, sure, I'll definitely let you know."

"Much obliged," Kuzon said, leaning against the wall and staring out the window. The tiny sliver of light that passed as dawn was slowly growing wider. "You know, one of the best things about the Fire Nation is the sunrises. We have some pretty spectacular sunrises."

"That so?" Bumi grunted.

"Yep. And when you get up as early as I do, you get to see them every single day."

"I can believe that."

Another pause.

"Are you gonna fall asleep?"

"I think you've completely chased away all chance of that with your talking," the Earthbender boy grumbled, sitting up in bed and shoving off the covers. "Forget it. Let's go wake up Aang and Zeph."

Kuzon grinned. "Sounds good."

They made their way to Zeph's room, where she was sleeping soundly in bed. Kuzon and Bumi exchanged glances and, as one, started shaking her.

"Zeph!"

"Hey, Zeph! Wake up!"

"Rise and shine, sleepy--MMPH!" Kuzon's shouting was cut off by a sudden slap across the face. A moment later, the same hand connected with Bumi's nose. The two boys staggered back, staring at the still-sleeping Airbender girl. Bumi looked at Kuzon.

"Did she just...?"

"Ow," Kuzon winced, rubbing his face. "My head!"

Not to be deterred, Bumi moved forward and started shaking Zeph again. This time, he was rewarded with a kick in the ribs. "OUCH!"

"You asked for it," Kuzon chuckled.

"Now why couldn't _I_ have hit you without waking up and made you leave _me_ alone?" Bumi wondered aloud, wincing as he held his side. "Man, she really packs a punch..."

"Mmph. What're you two doing here?" Zeph asked tiredly, from the very brink of consciousness.

"Trying to wake you up," Bumi said sullenly. She looked toward the window, eyes barely open.

"But...it's scarcely light out."

"Yeah. That's what I told _him_," Bumi said, jerking a thumb at Kuzon. Zeph yawned.

"Crazy Firebenders," she muttered, shoving back the covers and slowly getting up.

"C'mon," Kuzon said, choosing to ignore the insult. "Let's get Aang."

Their plan was cut short when they opened the door to Aang's room and were greeted by a forceful blast of air.

"Is he _airbending_ while he's _snoring_?" Bumi demanded as they tried to shut the door.

"I think so!" Kuzon shouted back. Zeph managed to hold the air still long enough for the boys to slam the door shut, and they all stared at it for a moment.

"Well," Bumi said, "that's going on my blackmail list."

"You have a blackmail list?"

"I do now."

"We aren't gonna try to wake up Monk Gyatso, are we?" Zeph asked, yawning again.

"Nah," said Kuzon, heading toward the kitchen. The other two children followed him.

"Soooooo, now that we're awake, what do we do?"

"I don't know," Kuzon shrugged, slicing into a loaf of ash banana bread sitting on the counter. Bumi felt his eye twitch, and he offhandedly wondered if that was healthy.

"You _woke me up_ without good reason?!"

"Sorry. Wasn't thinking ahead," Kuzon said, all-too-innocently. Bumi growled and was about to launch into a screaming tirade when Zeph beat him to the punch. Well, she didn't scream, but she _did_ talk first.

"So what do you usually do this time of day?" she asked, helping herself to a slice of bread. Kuzon thought a moment.

"Well...hanging out with my family, really. At home the servants would be making breakfast, but Mom likes cooking when we're here at the vacation house..."

"Oh!" Zeph said, struck with sudden inspiration. "We could make breakfast!"

"Hey!" Kuzon exclaimed. "That's a great idea!" Zeph blushed.

"Great," Bumi drawled. "What are we gonna be cooking, exactly?"

Awkward pause.

"I don't know how to cook," Kuzon admitted.

"Same here," said Zeph.

"Fantastic," Bumi sighed. He'd gotten out of bed for this? "So now what do we do?"

Kuzon looked out the window, thinking, and then he grinned. "C'mon. Let's watch the sunrise."

They filed out onto the back veranda, where they had a good view of the mountains. Sunlight rose up into the sky, spilling out in waves of pink and orange and yellow and blue over the dark silhouettes of the peaks. Inwardly, Bumi admitted that the sight was quite worth being woken up at the crack of dawn to see, though he'd never admit it to Kuzon.

Zeph seemed to have no such reservations. "Kuzon," she breathed,"it's beautiful." Bumi noted how close she was standing to the Firebender.

"Yeah," Kuzon grinned, gazing out at the sun. "It'll look even prettier when the fire lilies bloom in the field."

Zeph smiled at the thought.

**AN: Waterbenders rise with the moon. Firebenders rise with the sun. Bumi rises whenever he feels like it (Or when his parents or an enthusiastic Kuzon drag him out of bed. Whichever comes first.). **

**Zannen—Japanese, "regret" (Figure out the foreshadowing, if you can.) **

**Reviews are, of course, deeply appreciated. Thanks for reading!**


	4. The Meat of the Matter

**Another chapter. Yay! Also, many, many thanks to my shiny new beta, torikkusuta! **

**Disclaimer: Avatar isn't mine.  
**

**Chapter 4: The Meat of the Matter  
**  
There were many islands in the archipelago that was the Fire Nation, ranging in size from a few thousand square miles to little hunks of rock sticking out above the surface of the ocean. The island of Uxo Mu was four miles across and ten miles long, with a mountainous ridge rising like a spine through its middle--the remnants of the now-dead volcano that had formed it. The northern half of the island was mostly covered in tropical forests, with the exception of the rockier portions of the mountains. Uxo Mu's southern half, however, was home to wide green meadows that grew far up the mountains' slopes. Fire lilies only grew in the fields for a few short weeks each summer, but there were always other flowers in bloom. The beautiful and relaxing landscape of the meadows made it the perfect spot for several things--a vacation house, long walks, and flocks of grazing animals.

"They're called koala sheep," Kuzon told Bumi, watching Aang and Zeph pet the creatures. The children were a mile north of the house, their walk (or adventure, as they insisted on calling it) cut short by the worthwhile distraction that was cuteness on four legs. The Earthbender's brow furrowed as he stared at the animals milling about.

"They're so...fluffy."

"Aren't they _adorable_?" Zeph asked, patting one on the head. The koala sheep uttered a bleat and chewed on the grass. "These are my favorite animals, after sky bison and the Southern Air Temple's lemurs."

"Yeah, our lemurs _are_ pretty cute," Aang said, scratching a koala sheep behind the ears. Kuzon and Bumi exchanged dubious glances, clearly conveying their thoughts on their fellow male calling something "cute."

"My favorite animals are platypus bears," Bumi announced to the Airbenders. "Or maybe gorilla goats."

"Komodo rhinos," Kuzon said. The boys looked at each other and nodded, their manliness asserted.

"How can you guys like those things?" Zeph wondered. "They're so rough and ugly-looking. Well, okay, baby platypus bears are kinda cute... But gorilla goats just look freakish."

"What?" Bumi demanded. "Are you crazy? Those things are awesome!"

"Freaky!"

"Awesome!"

"Freaky!"

"Freakishly awesome!" Aang shouted. "There, are you happy?"

"Gorilla goats aren't freakish!" Bumi exclaimed.

"And they aren't awesome!" Zeph added. Aang sighed and looked at Kuzon.

"Can't say I didn't _try_."

"Frankly, I think it's weird when you do that," the Firebender answered.

"Do _what_?"

"Like, you...I dunno, you're always playing peace maker. Or...um...what's the word... Compromise. You're always suggesting compromises. It's weird."

Aang shrugged. "It's just what I do. And besides, I _am_ an Airbender."

Kuzon looked at their other two friends. "That doesn't seem to be enough to keep _Zeph _peaceful."

"Have you _seen_ the way gorilla goats look?" she demanded of Bumi.

"Well, _duh_. That's why I think they're so awesome! Besides, you don't have much room to talk. You just claimed these fluffballs as your third favorite animal!" He gestured toward the koala sheep.

"Yeah, but koala sheep don't look weird," Zeph retorted. "They're soft and cute and sweet!"

"Actually," Kuzon broke in, "they're rather savory."

Zeph blinked. "What?"

"You know, savory," Kuzon repeated. Aang and Zeph exchanged glances.

"Umm..." Aang began. Zeph looked confused. Bumi snorted.

"The taste," Kuzon elaborated, examining his fingernails. "Granted, it's ruined if you cook it so long it completely dries out, or if you burn it, but done right koala lamb is pretty tasty..."

Aang's eyes widened, and Zeph stared in horror.

"Really?" Bumi asked, looking at the sheep.

"Yeah. Especially with fire sauce."

"Ew!" Zeph squealed. Bumi ignored Aang's expression, because he knew he'd burst into giggles if he looked at him. Focusing on Kuzon, he grinned.

"I'll have to try that sometime."

"My mom makes a pretty good lamb leg. Maybe she'll cook us some when she and my brother and sister show up."

"Ew, ew, ew!"

"That would be flamin'. I'm beginning to miss meat."

"Yeah, that tends to happen when you have Airbenders doing the cooking for a while."

"We're _standing _right _here_!" Aang shouted.

"I can't believe you two would eat something so cute!" Zeph exclaimed, hugging a koala sheep. The animal jerked in annoyance, and she adjusted her hold so it could eat without problem.

"I thought you guys have been all over the world," Bumi said. "Aren't you used to people eating meat?"

"Well, yeah," said Aang. "But it doesn't make it any less gross!"

Bumi looked down at a koala sheep that had started chewing on his pants. "They don't seem to have any problem with eating _me_," he grumbled, yanking the material out of the animal's mouth.

"It was just exploring," Kuzon said. "It wasn't really gonna eat you. Now, cow hippos on the other hand, _those_ things will eat you if you aren't careful."

"But you can eat them?"

"Oh, yeah. Cow hippo steak is mouth-watering."

"Okay, okay, you both like meat, I get it," Aang groaned. "But can you stop talking about it around Zeph and me?" The Airbender girl nodded, putting her hands on her hips for emphasis.

"Mouth-watering, huh?" Bumi asked, ignoring the Air Nomads. "Better than these things?" He shoved away the koala sheep before it chewed on his pants again.

"Depends who's cooking them, really. And what recipe. My mom has this special recipe; she won't tell me what she puts in it, but it's _amazing_."

"Do you two hear me at all?" Aang demanded.

"Think I can try it sometime? Maybe Monk Gyatso can take a break from cooking when your mom comes."

"Yeah, that'd be nice. I can only take fruit salad so much," Kuzon said, looking at the flock surrounding them. "You know, if we brought one of these things home now, we could keep it at the house until my mom shows up. And then we can hire someone in town to...take care of it the day we decide to eat it. Nothing like fresh meat."

Aang and Zeph exchanged horrified glances before, as one, they bent a forceful blast of air at their omnivorous friends. The yelping boys flew a good twenty feet before landing with an _umph!_ on a soft pile of sleeping koala sheep. The animals bleated briefly as their naps were interrupted before quickly settling back into slumber. Bumi stared up at the bright blue sky for a moment before speaking.

"And I thought she _liked_ you."

"Zeph doesn't _like _me, you rockhead. We're just friends."

"Keep telling yourself that. Next thing you know, you'll be married to an Airbender, never to taste the savory sweetness of meat again."

"That's _not_ gonna happen!"

"Of _course_ it isn't."

**AN: I have nothing against vegetarians. Or vegans. Really. It was way too much fun to tease Aang and Zeph here, though.**

**Uxo Mu--Japanese, "warm". (I get most of these words off of an online translater thingy, so if anyone reading this can actually speak Japanese, I'm really, really sorry if I'm using any of these words with the wrong connotations or anything. ^_^) **

**About the island's geography, I based it a lot off of Kaho'olawe, the smallest of the Hawaiian Islands. They're formed from volcanoes, so I figured they'd be a good base for creating Fire Nation islands... **

**Hope you all enjoyed reading! And of course, reviews are appreciated. ^_^  
**


	5. Of Books and Boarcupines

**Wow, it's been a while since I updated. Hopefully that won't happen again... Eh, who am I kidding? Real life happens. . **

**I had the pleasure of having TWO betas proofread this for me. Many thanks to ****torikkusuta and stingrae90! (Stingrae, btw, has a very nice fic featuring Aang and Kuzon's friendship, too. You should check it out if you're into that sort of thing...which you probably are if you're reading this fic. It's called Letters from the Past, and it's in my favorites.)**

**Disclaimer: Avatar isn't mine.  
**

**Chapter 5: Of Books and Boarcupines**

The Air Nomads had a term that they used to describe people who lived in one place all their life instead of constantly migrating on flying bison like normal people. That term was "settled", and while the Nomads never used it in a rude or jeering matter, there was always a little light in their eyes when they said it, as though they knew some great thing that those unfortunate souls stuck on the ground would never understand. Of course, they probably did. Air Nomads were an eccentric bunch, though, so most said unfortunate souls just ignored their antics, especially citizens of the Earth Kingdom, who'd long ago decided that their elemental opposites were crazy.

Gyatso would never admit it, but there were times when he actually envied people who were settled. Now was one of those times, as he reclined in a chair on the porch and read a book. The children had gone for a long walk through the island meadow, and Gyatso was using the time to relax, enjoy the silence, and read. Kuzon's family didn't keep many books here at their vacation home, but there was a decent-sized shelf filled with them. The books were nothing terribly deep--most held Fire Nation myths and light-hearted stories, the types of things you'd read for fun out loud around the campfire. Gyatso didn't mind, though, because he loved books and that shelf held more of them than he'd ever owned. He loved the life of a nomad, but it didn't allow for many material possessions.

Not that he really had any need for material possessions, of course. They were unnecessary, and often got in the way of what was really important in life, and were not conducive to proper spiritual peace and health.

That didn't stop him from loving books, though. They were such delightful things. What a pity he'd never be able to collect them. He'd seen a library once, at the University of Ba Sing Se, when he was a much younger man. He'd been quite impressed. All those shelves, filled to the brim with books and scrolls. It was the only thing about the city he'd actually enjoyed. (The caste system had been absolutely aggravating. And he'd caught those Dai Li agents watching him every now and again as he perused the library and the museums. He understood that they were only protecting their cultural heritage, but honestly, just because he was from their opposite element didn't mean he'd taint their civilization by breathing on ancient paper and pottery shards.)

He thought about returning to the place, just to see the books again, but shook the thought away. He didn't feel like exposing Aang to that sort of thing, not at this young age. Maybe he could find some sort of library in Crater City--he did intend to stop there at some point during the summer, after all. He had some acquaintances among the Fire Sages he wanted to see again, and the capital city was a sight to see. Perhaps they could stop for a few days en route to Ember Island. (Even when visiting friends in other countries, Air Nomads felt the need to keep moving.) There was bound to be a library in the capital. Probably a good number of book shops. Gyatso idly wondered how much a book actually cost. Not needing to buy material possessions aside from the occasional supply run, he had no idea how much some things were actually worth.

Gyatso sighed and stared down at the page he was on, not really reading the glyphs. _I am never going to reach enlightenment, am I?_ he thought. Not that he really cared. Gyatso had reached his own sort of enlightenment long ago. He couldn't ever explain it to his fellow monks, unfortunately, as it involved a number of earthly attachments, Aang and books being two of them, and it would probably result in his getting kicked off the Council. Not to mention the fact that Dhargey would wring his neck (though Dhargey was always looking for an excuse to do that, anyway). Gyatso didn't care much for the Council's outlook on most things, but he certainly didn't want to get kicked off. They _needed_ someone of his character on it, after all, or else things would quickly become rigid and stale.

Gyatso shook himself out of his reverie and went back to reading his book. He quickly became engrossed in an old Sun Warrior legend of the rain spirit Chalchihuitlicue, and the flood she brought upon the world, and so didn't hear the screaming until Aang and Zeph were upon him.

"MONK GYATSO! MONK GYATSO!"

He jerked in his seat and looked up to see the Airbender children flying out of the sky on their gliders, diving toward the ground as fast as they could. Aang managed a good landing, but Zeph hit the ground hard and barreled into Appa, who lowed in annoyance before going back to chewing on grass. The girl didn't seem to notice, as she simply picked herself up and dashed to the porch with Aang.

"What on earth is the matter?" the old monk asked, briefly mourning the end of his relaxation as he placed a marker in his book. The children started babbling a mile a minute.

"It was BIG, and BLACK AND BROWN, and there were all these SPIKES--"

"The koala sheep ran too fast, so it decided to go for us instead--"

"And it had all these _teeth_, and it was snarling! That was one nasty--uh, what did you say it was, Zeph?"

"A boarcupine!"

"Yeah! That was one nasty boarcupine!"

Gyatso felt a ball of dread drop to the bottom of his stomach. The children prattled on.

"And Aang and I flew out of the way on our gliders, but Kuzon and Bumi can't fly--"

"Kuzon was screaming like a girl, really--"

"He did not!"

"He did too!"

"I screamed like a girl, too!"

"Zeph, you _are_ a girl!"

"Children," Gyatso interrupted, his words slow and measured, "where are Kuzon and Bumi?" Forget wringing his neck--Dhargey was going to abandon pacifism and outright _kill_ him for this. The last thing he needed was a double international incident on his hands because the sons of an Earth nobleman and a Fire Army officer died while their Air Nomad friends flew away.

"Well, while Kuzon was screaming like a girl--"

"He does not!"

"--Bumi bended a giant wall of earth in front of them."

Gyatso decided it was still too early to sigh in relief. "And then?"

"Well, the boarcupine tried to go _around_ the wall, so Bumi bended even _more_ earth."

Gyatso groaned. At least the boys didn't seem to be dead. "You're saying they're completely encircled by a wall of earth?"

Aang fidgeted. "Well, not exactly..."

"And what does that mean?"

"The boarcupine tried to climb up the wall," Zeph explained. "So Bumi added a roof. They're stuck inside a giant dome of dirt. And the boarcupine's trying to dig through. They can be pretty territorial, you know."

Gyatso put a hand to his face and drew in a deep breath. _It could be worse_, he told himself. _It could always be much, much worse than this._

* * *

"It can't get much worse than this," Kuzon declared, staring at the flame in his palm.

"Yep," Bumi sighed, leaning against the earth wall and steadfastly ignoring the sounds of digging and snarling from the ravenous beast outside.

"How long do you think it'll take Aang and Zeph to get help?"

"Those two airheads? Who knows? Besides, they didn't specifically say they were going for help. They just sorta...flew off."

"Good point. They'll probably end up distracted by more koala sheep. Nice of them to just fly off leave and us here. They could've tried blasting the boarcupine with air--worked well enough with _us_."

"Typical Airbender reaction," Bumi grumbled. "Avoid and evade." Kuzon nodded sagely.

"Oh, by the way," the Firebender said, "you'd better make some sort of airhole up in the ceiling if you want me to keep the light going."

"Why?"

"Fire needs air to live."

Bumi felt his eyes boggle. "Fire _eats_ air?"

"...Sure, I guess you could put it that way."

"That's really weird," Bumi grunted, eyeing the ceiling. He made a punching motion, creating a small hole only a few inches across to let the air in.

"It doesn't _really_ eat air, you rockhead."

"I suppose it _drinks_ it, then."

"_No._"

* * *

**Had a lot of fun with this one! Gyatso's a neat guy to write for. He comes across as being quite different from his fellow monks, so I tried to explore that angle a bit. Hopefully I didn't fail completely. XD (My beta Tori, btw, commented that he reminded her a lot of Qui-Gon Jinn here. I didn't even notice while I was writing, but it makes perfect sense!)  
**

**Dhargey—Tibetan, pronounced dar-djay, "progress, development". He's the harsh old monk who wants to intensify Aang's training during the flashbacks in The Storm. Why yes, I **_**do**_** adore giving names and personalities to random background characters, thank you very much.**

**Chalchihuitlicue—Aztec goddess of rain, lakes, streams, rivers, and flowing water in general. While I usually try to stick to Asian myths when working with the Avatar-verse's religious aspects, I decided to use an Aztec deity for two reasons here. 1) I couldn't find a female Asian rain deity (and I wanted her female for a reason I'll hopefully explore in another fanfic I mean to write). 2) The Sun Warriors are based on ancient Central American civilizations, so I figured it'd be neat to do something with them. Of course, she's rain, they worship the sun…but whatever. That and I like her name, though I can't pronounce it. **

**Keep in mind that the Dai Li mentioned here are **_**not**_** Long Feng's Dai Li. These are the guys who did nothing other than guard their Cultural Heritage™, no brainwashing involved. Personally, I think it's a little nutty to create a military-like organization devoted to protecting history and culture, but whatever. I figure they maintained museums, libraries, and historic sites, were huge history buffs, and took their jobs very, very seriously, despite how weird said jobs were. **

"**Fire eats air." Oh, Bumi, if only you knew the terrible genocide you just foreshadowed… **

**Hope you enjoyed reading! Reviews are, as always, appreciated. ^_^  
**


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